Pneumatic cotton-picking spindle



,Jan. 3, 1950 c. o. ARNESON PNEUMATIC COTTON-PICKING SPINDLE sSheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 20, 1948 Inventor Charles 0. Arneson Jan. 3,1950 c. o. ARNESON 2,493,564

PNEUMATIC COTTON-PICKING SPINDLE Filed May 20, 1948 v 98 3 Sheets-Sheet2 68 I c o I Inventor 22 J Charles 0. Arneson 64 0 O O t 24 v o oo a or. and 3 Mon. 2 30 20' I Ame! C. O. ARNESON PNEUMATIC COTTON-PICKINGSPINDLE Jan. 3, 1950 56heets-Sheet 3 Filed May 20, 1948 Inventor Charles0. Arneson Patented Jan. 3, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ApplicationMay 20,

2 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements and structuralrefinements in cotton picking machines, and the principal object of theinvention is to facilitate fast and efiicient gathering of mature cottonfrom the plants, and equally fast and efiicient disposal of the cottonafter it is gathered.

Conventional machines or pickers employed for this purpose usuallyembody in their construction a pair of spaced, vertical and revolvingdrums which straddle a row of cotton plants, each drum being equippedwith cam-actuated picker rods on which are mounted rotating taperedspindles. These spindles have numerous small barbs which catch the lintsfrom the open cotton bolls. As the cotton fibers are drawn by the barbsthey are propelled by air pressure through a collecting duct into atemporar storage receptacle mounted on the picker machine.

It is to be noted that this conventional apparatus for picking cottonemploysfwhat rnay be referred to as a positive mechanical action"conveniently manipulated, which will not easily become damaged, andwhich will readily lend itself to economical manufacture.

With the above more important objects and features in view, and suchother objects and features as may become apparent as this specificationproceeds, the invention consists essentially of the arrangement andconstruction of parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a tractor showing the invention in situ'.thereon, parts of the invention being broken away so as to reveal itsconstruction;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the subject shown in Figure 1,parts of the invention also being broken away;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional detail showing a portion of a drum and oneof the rotatable pickfor separating the cotton fibers from the.plants,'- 7 that is, by direct physical engagement of the? barbs withthe cotton bolls. As a'result, a machine of this type is'quite capableof performing considerable injury to the plants, particularly to theimmature bolls thereof, which usually become mutilated and renderedincapable of further growth or development to maturity.

Another object of the invention is, therefore, to eliminate thedisadvantages incident to the use of conventional cotton pickers, thatis to say, to facilitate the gathering of the cotton fibers with theminimum of disturbance or mutilation I to the plants themselves.

by eliminating the aforementioned positive mechanical gathering orpicking action and employing vacuum or reduced air pressure, whereby thecotton is gathered, so to speak, in a gentle yet eificient manner by thepressure of the atmosphere.

Another important feature of the invention resides in the provision ofmeans for intermittently applying pressure greater than that of theatmosphere to the cotton picking members after a certain amount ofcotton has been deposited or accumulated thereon, so that theaccumulated cotton may be discharged or released from the cotton pickingmembers and deposited in a storage receptacle.

A further feature of the invention resides in the provision of a cottonpicking device which is simple in construction, which may be easily and:ing spindles used in the invention;

Figure 4 is an elevational view, taken substantially in the direction ofthe arrow 4 in Figure 3;

"fF'igure 5 is a cross sectional view, taken stantially in the plane ofthe line 5-5 in Figure 3;

sub-

sub- Fig- Figure 6 is a cross sectional View, taken stantially in theplane of the line 66 in ure 2;

Figure 7 is a cross sectional view, taken substantially in the plane ofthe line 1-1 in Figure 2; and,

Figure18 is a cross sectional view, taken stantially in'the plane of theline 8--8 in ure 6.

Like characters of reference are employed to sub- Figdesignate likeparts in the specification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the generalreference character In designates a conventional tractor, the lowerportion of which is surrounded by an elongated shell 12 which enclosesthe front wheel assembly I4 of the tractor, but the rear wheels [6 ofthe tractor are disposed exteriorly with respect to the enclosure IZ, asis best shown in Figure 1.

A pair of carriers [8 project laterally to the sides of the enclosure l2(see Figure 2), these carriers being disposed forwardly of" the rearwheels l6 and supporting downwardly extending housings 20 A rotatabledrum 22 is provided in each of the housings 20 and carries its lateralsurface a plurality of rotatablynmounted pickers or picking spindles 24.It is to be noted that the housings 20 are spaced from the side platesof the shell l2 was to provide what may be referred and a tubular insert32 is secured in the drum 22 in spaced relation therewith, the insert 32extending longitudinally in the drum and defining what may be referredto as a central, cylindrical compartment 34. Moreover, a plurality ofradially disposed, longitudinally extending partitions 36 extend betweenthe insert 32 and the wall of the drum 22 proper, the partitions 36defining a set of air passages 38 which are disposed in annularformation aroundthe central'compartment 34, as is best shown in Figure'7.

The upper end portion of the drum 22 is freely rotatable in adistributor head 40 provided in each of the aforementioned carriers N3,the head 46 being separated by a diametrically extending partition 42into a substantially semi-circular vacuum chamber 44 and a substantiallysemicircular compressed air chamber 46, as is illustrated in Figures 6and 8. The bottom wall of the head 46 carries a downwardly extendingpartition 48 which, in effect, is a continuation of the aforementionedpartition 42 and which, al-

though being stationary, extends into the center compartment 34 of therotatable drum 22 and thereby separates that compartment into a pair ofsubstantially semi-cylindrical portions. It is also to be noted that thebottom wall of the head 40 is formed with an opening 50 connecting thevacuum chamber '44 with a portion of the compartment 34 at one side ofthe partition 48, while a similar opening 52 connects the compressed airchamber 46. with the second portion of the compartment 34 at therelatively opposite side of the partition 48, substantially as shown inFigure 8. Moreover, the bottom wall of the head '40 is formed with aplurality of openings 64 which connect the compressed air chamber 46with onehalf of the aforementioned air passages 38, namely, those of thepassages which are disposed in a semi-circle immediately adjacent thatportion of the center compartment 34- which is in communication with thecompressed air chamber 46.

The distributor head 40 as Well as the partition 48 remain stationary atall times, while the drum 22 including the insert 32 are rotatable.Means hereinafter. described are employed for creating vacuum in thechamber 44 and for maintaining a pressure of air' in the chamber 46, andas a result, rotation of the drum 22 will simultaneously subjectdifferent portions of the inner surface of the insert 32 to the effectsof reduced and increased air pressure, and at the same time, air underpressure will intermittently be delivered, in a circumferentialprogression, so to speak, to'the air passages 38. V

The arrangement and construction of the several'pickingspindles 24is-identical, so that a description of one will again sufiice for all.

Each of the spindles 24 consists of a hollow, substantially conical body51 forming a chamber 56 V communicating with the chamber 56. An openended tubular duct 62 projects longitudinally from the end wall 5'! andis rotatably journalled in the bore of a tubular bushing 64 secured inthe drum 22, between the outer Wall of the latter and the insert 32, asis best disclosed in Figures 3, 6 and 8. Needless to say, an individualbushing 64 is provided for the duct 62 of each of the several spindles24, and the latter are rotatably retained in position on the drum bymeans of suitable retaining rings 66 provided on the ducts 62. It is tobe noted that the insert 32 is formed with suitable apertures 68,whereby the compartment 34 communicates through the medium of the ducts62 withthe chambers 56 of the spindles 2'4, and it should be explainedthat as the drum 22 rotates, the aforementioned partition 48, disposedin the compartment 34, will coact with the vacuum chamber 44 and thecompressed air chamber 46 of the distributor head 40 in such manner thatin'the spindles on the inner side of the partition 48 (see Figure 1)reduced air pressure will exist in the chambers 56 and atmospheric airwill be drawn through the openings 60 in these chambers, while in thespindles disposed on the outside of the partitions 48, air underpressure will be delivered into the chambers 56 and discharged throughthe openings 66 into the atmosphere, or more specifically, into thehousings 26.

Moreover, it is to be noted that a plurality of substantiallyrectangular propelling blades 10 are mounted in mutually spaced spiralformation in each of the ducts 62, so that when air passes through theducts in either direction, the ducts together with the spindles 24 willbe caused to rotate in one direction or the other, as will be clearlyapparent.

The aforementioned bushings 64 are equipped with outturned mountingflanges 12 which are disposed adjacent the end walls 57' and extendoutwardly beyond the marginal edges of the latter. The flanges 12 inturn, are provided with angulated air passages 14 disposed in a circularformation around each of the spindles 24 and communicating with theaforementioned air passages 38. Outer portions of the passages 14 haveaxes parallel to and spaced outwardly from the crop engaging surface 58,as is best shown in Figure 3. Accordingly, when air under pressure isdelivered to the passages 38 from the compressed air chamber 46,compressed air will be discharged through the passages or nozzles 14along the crop engaging surfaces 58 of the spindles 24, as indicated bythe arrow 16 in Figure 3.

The rotation of the drums 22 is effected in the following manner:

The tractor I0 is usually provided with a pair of laterally projectingpower take-ofi shafts, and a pair of bevel gears 18 are secured to theseshafts, meshing with similar gears secured to a pair of drive shafts 82rotatably mounted in the enclosure or shell I 2, as indicated inFigure 1. The shafts 82, in turn, are operatively connected by suitablegearing 84 tofurther shafts 86 carrying worms 88, and the latteroperatively engage suitable ring gears 90 provided on the drums 22.

The means for delivering compressed air to the chambers 46 and creatingvacuum in the chambers 44 consists of an air compressor 92 and an airpump 94, these being driven by small internal combustion engines 96, 98respectively, of conventional design, and the several units 92, 94, 96and 98 being suitably mounted upon a supporting structure I06 carried bythe shell l2.

The air compressor 92 is connected as at I02 to a compressed air tankI04, while the vacuum pump 98 is similarly connected to a vacuum tankI06. A pair of conduits I08 extend from the compressed air chambers 46of the two drums 22 to a junction box IIO which, in turn, is connectedas at II2 to the compressed air tank I04. Similarly, conduits II4 extendfrom the vacuum chambers 44 to a junction box IIB, the latter beingconnected to the vacuum tank I06.

It will be apparent that by virtue of this arrangement, a supply ofcompressed air will be delivered simultaneously to both chambers 46,while vacuum will be created in the chambers 44.

Having thus described the construction of the invention, its method ofoperation will now be explained.

When the invention is placed in use, the tractor I0 is driven betweentwo rows of the cotton plants indicated at H8 in Figure 1, so that therows of plants will pass, so to speak, through the passages 26. The sideportions of the shell I2 will function as efiective guides for urgingthe plants in engagement with the spindles 24 on the drums 22, and asthe drums as well as the spindles are rotated as already explained, airwill be drawn through the openings 60 into the chambers 56 of thespindles 24 which are disposed on the inside, that is, in or adjacentthe passageways 25, with respect to the stationary partitions 48.

By virtue of this inward passage of air through the openings 60, fibersof cotton will separate themselves from the plants and will remaindeposited on th outer surfaces 58 of the spindles 24 until thosespindles, by virtue of the rotation of the drums 22, are disposed on theoutside with respect to the partitions 48, that is, in the housings 20.

At that time, air under pressure will be delivered through the chambers56 and through the openings 00, whereby fibers of cotton accumulated onthe pickers will be quickly removed or discharged therefrom into thehousings 20 as indicated at 8', the latter functioning as tem-' porarystorage receptacles for the picked cotton.

It is to be noted that rotation of the spindles 24 while the cotton isbeing separated from the plants will result in circumferential windingof the cotton fibers on the surfaces 58. That is to say, the spindles 24are rotated in one direction by the inward passage of air from thechambers 56 through the ducts 62, the inwardly passing air coming incontact with the propelling blades and causing rotation of the spindles,as has been already described. However, while the cotton fibers arebeing discharged from the spindles into the housings 20, air will passoutwardly through the ducts 62 into the chambers 56 of the spindles,resulting in the rotation of the spindles in a relatively oppositedirection as compared to that prevailing during the cotton pickingoperation. Accordingly, the fibers of cotton will become un- Wound fromthe spindles and the outward dis- 0 charge of air through the openings60 will effectively assist in separating the cotton fibers from thespindles.

Needless to say, the housings 20 may be provided with suitable doors, sothat the picked cotton accumulated therein may be periodically removed,such as for example, at the ends of the rows.

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention will beclearly apparent from the foregoing disclosure and, accordingly, furtherdescription thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferredembodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that minor changesin the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as claimed.

Having described the invention, what claimed as new is:

1. A pneumatic cotton picking spindle comprising a hollow conical bodyaffording an air chamber, said body including an end wall and a taperedlateral Wall, said lateral wall having a crop engaging surface and beingprovided with rows of longitudinally extending air slots communicatingwith said chamber, an open ended tubular air duct extendinglongitudinally from said end wall and affording means for rotatablymounting said body, and a set of substantially rectangular propellingblades secured in mutually spaced spiral formation to the inner surfaceof said duct.

2. The device as defined in claim 1, in combination with a tubularsupporting bushing having said duct rotatably mounted therein, and anout-turned flange provided at one end of said bushing adjacent the endwall of said body and extending outwardly beyond the marginal edge ofsaid end wall, the marginal portion of said flange being provided with aplurality of compressed air passages having axes parallel to and.

spaced outwardly from said crop engaging surface whereby compressed airmay be blown longitudinally of said crop engaging surface over saidslots.

CHARLES O. ARNESON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 768,400 Piper Aug. 23, 1904793,210 Morava June 27, 1905 1,087,872 Dana Feb. 17, 1914 1,447,328Rycroft Mar. 6, 1923 1,845,431 Martin Feb. 16, 1932 1,953,313 Prouty etal Apr. 3, 1934 1,953,639 Waggoner Apr. 3, 1934

